


Tennessee Whiskey

by naturegoddess210



Series: Bethyl playlist: times that Daryl caught Beth singing [2]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alexandria Safe-Zone (Walking Dead), Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Beth Greene Lives, Beth Greene Sings, Beth Lives, Drinking, F/M, Singing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-24
Updated: 2020-06-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:07:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24885820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/naturegoddess210/pseuds/naturegoddess210
Summary: Title named after song.Beth sings, Daryl listens, Maggie is drunk and needy.Maggie asks Beth to sing, Beth is shy but eventually does it to shut up her sister.(I'm not great at summarizing)
Relationships: Bob Stookey/Sasha Williams, Daryl Dixon/Beth Greene, Maggie Greene/Glenn Rhee
Series: Bethyl playlist: times that Daryl caught Beth singing [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1799776
Comments: 1
Kudos: 20





	Tennessee Whiskey

**Author's Note:**

> This was a favorite of my mother's and she passed away Monday morning of bone cancer. Maybe I'm writing as a coping mechanism. 
> 
> ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯¯\\_(ツ)_/¯¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

Maggie, Glenn, Sasha, Tyrese along with Bob and Daryl where sitting in the front room of their home in Alexandria. 

They had found a case of Bourbon on a run, Bob had struggled with his choice to grab it from the spot under the sink in the abandoned house they raided until finally Daryl grabbed it, putting it in Bob's hand. 

"It's okay man. We can celebrate tonight"

It was a good day, it had been months since an accident. They had enough food. 

Beth was alive and living. They shared a room together (along with their bodies) 

It was okay for their families to take a breath. 

Maggie was feeling sentimental. Her father had dreams of finding a place like this. 

Safe. 

A community. 

Walls. 

Now he was gone and he wouldn't ever get to see that they made it, that little band of people in the beginning had found some semblance of peace. 

She took a swig of the liquid as she passed it to Sasha. 

Daryl wasn't drinking he just sat back on the couch and watched. Beth should be back from the kindergarten where she worked. 

"I miss my daddy , he would have loved it here. " Maggie said, wiping her eyes away.

Glenn grabbed his wife's hand. Rubbing her hand with his thumb soothingly

"I know he would. It's alright Maggie. "

Sasha and her brother took a swig, saying how they missed their parents. Their grandma who cooked large amounts of food to show her love. 

Bob was quite but he had a look in his eyes that said he was thinking about someone, something... 

\---

The bottle was half empty and sometime during the day someone found a guitar. 

Maggie tried her hands at a few strings but groaned, " I was never very good at music. That was Otis, man! That reminds me!! There was a song he'd sing that my Dad loved. .. " 

She hummed a few bars, Daryl knew it. He'd know it if he was deaf and dying on his death bed.

Beth sung it when she thought he was sleeping once as she was tending to the campfire and he was curled up on his side, face away from her. 

Daryl had held his breath the whole time. Enraptured. It was Merels favorite song. 

Maggie's voice grew loud from excitement at some long lost memory brought up by intoxication. 

"I should make Beth sing it! "

\----

A beautiful blond girl walked through the door, sighing to herself before noticing them, " Man am I beat, oh hey guys! "

Maggie looked up at her sister, a simple pale yellow dress that hit above her knees and a grey sweater with thumb holes. 

Her blonde hair hung loose and a few of her baby curls near her temple framed her temple, the bullet wound a scar nearly fading, a small starburst. 

She had survived a gunshot wound to the head, the bullet curving her skull. 

She believes her daddy had been watching out for her. Saving her. When Daryl had carry her body out of the hospital, his face utterly broken, Maggie lost her faith in God. Her baby sister was dead. 

She screamed, long and loud and hurting. 

But something happen... 

Something good.... 

Beth woke up. 

Daryl fell to his knees clutching her to himself, sobbing harder then she ever saw a man do in her life. Like her daddy wept... 

Beth took a shuddering breath and gasped. She was alive. 

The next few hours was a haze of rushing up the stairs, screaming "She's alive!! She's alive!! "

Daryl never left her side since. 

\--

Maggie stood up and tossed her arms around her sister, " Beth!! Beth!! Look it's Beth! " She giggled, swaying as she hugged her thin shoulders. 

Beth smelled whiskey on her sisters breath. She laughed.

"Hey Maggie, you're cheery? You okay? "

She saw a bottle on the coffee table, the contents nearly empty. 

Daryl gave her a small nod and rolled his eyes at the group. 

She smiled at him. 

Maggie yanked her to the couch, every one smiling, happy to see her. 

Beth let herself be manhandled by her older sibling. Maggie fell back, shoulder bumping Glenn who was red faced, she laughed "woops! Sorry baby" 

Sasha and Tyrese both said their greetings warmly. Beth liked them both and was happy they were there. 

Bob was a good man who had medical knowledge was was worth more than gold now that doctors were scare. 

Daryl was happy. Happier than she could remember. 

It made her feel warm. 

Maggie grabbed the guitar and pushed it to Beth, who looked confused. 

"Uhh what's this for? "

" just sing dummy"

"Sing what? "

" that song Daddy loves.. Loved.. The one he sang for Mama, please Beth? "

Uh oh Maggie was a sad drunk. 

"No Maggie not that one.. " Her sister gave her a look, hurt? 

The song she wanted was sad and it wasn't the kind you just sang out loud. It was the kind that made people cry and Beth wanted to keep it light. 

"Beth, please, for me? "

" Maggie maybe I shouldn't "

Sasha spoke up, "come on its been a while since anyone heard some music and it's not like we got a radio"

Tye her older brother smiles warmly at her and saying how he would enjoy hearing Beth sing. 

Daryl just eyes her, a small smile on his lips. "Come on, Greene, just do it"

She looked at him, she knew she was already regretted it. She liked to sing but this was different. 

But she didn't have a choice the small room of people kept asking. Pleading. 

"Okay, fine. "

She took the guitar, tuned it before adjusting it on her lap, fingering the strings and making a few twangy notes before she cleared her throat. She took a breath,

_Used to spend my nights out in a barroom_

_Liquor was the only love I've known_

_But you rescued me from reachin' for the bottom_

_And brought me back from being too far gone_

All at once the room took a inhale, her voice was a thing of beauty and hearing it was a religious experience. 

Her voice was like sitting in church. 

Like sitting in the church at night just you and whatever God you prayed to. 

Like being clean. 

_You're as smooth as Tennessee whiskey_

_You're as sweet as strawberry wine_

_You're as warm as a glass of brandy_

_And honey, I stay stoned on your love all the time_

Maggie sobbed into her hands. 

Sasha bent her head back against the couch. Eyes closed and tears running freely. 

She thinks of her mom

So does her brother, also of Karen. He weeps openly as he bends his head in prayer

Bob has his head down but his shoulders shake. 

_I've looked for love in all the same old places_

_Found the bottom of a bottle's always dry_

_But when you poured out your heart I didn't waste it_

_'Cause there's nothing like your love to get me high_

_(She sings softly, she doesn't need to belt it out and somehow it makes it better. )_

_You're as smooth as Tennessee whiskey_

_You're as sweet as strawberry wine_

_You're as warm as a glass of brandy_

_And honey, I stay stoned on your love all the time_

Like laying in your bed and your mama sits on the end, singing you a song to help you sleep and her voice in the night makes you feel safe. Even Merle who was a teenager shuts up. Curled up on his own bed. 

Beth sings the rest. Ending the song she strumbs out the last few cords. 

_The room quiets._

_Inhaling of a sob can be heard._

Daryl was leaning on his knees, hands folding against his mouth, eyes wet. He was looking at her with that look again, she had come to know it as love, him loving her so much it hurts. 

Maggie leaned over and hugged Glenn who was crying, openly and unashamed. Beth loved him for it. 

Tyrese grabbed her hand and kissed it. 

"Thank you" Sasha smiles as well as saying thank you. Wiping her eyes. 

Maggie says thank you, she smiles and kisses her face. 

Says daddy would have loved it. 

Beth almost cries right there. 

"We should get to bed" Daryl says, clearing his throat. 

He takes Beth by the hand and they go to their room.

Daryl takes her the moment he closes the door, grabbing her close to him and holding her so hard that she almost can't breathe but she wouldn't dare tell him to stop and instead wraps her arms around his neck and hugs him back. 

**Author's Note:**

> I would have killed for a scene of this in some form.
> 
> Also ye, Beth kept Daryl from reaching for the bottle, too


End file.
